Device for removing sealing closures



N 'v. 17,1936. I, NE N 2,060,888

DEVICE FOR REMOVING SEALING CLOSURES Filed April 4, 1935 l d l/ 37 36" INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 17, 1936 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR REMOVING SEALING CLOSURES 8 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for removing sealing closures. It is particularly directed to a tool for removing the cap from a filling hole of a can.

Cans for liquids such as petroleum products, chemicals, oils or the like receptacles which have a filling hole have been provided with caps or sealing closures for the filling holes. Heretofore it has been customary to pierce the can at any suitable part to permit the can to be emptied, after which the empty can has been discarded. In the case of larger and more expensive cans, however, it is desirable to refill and reuse the cans after the same have been emptied. It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a tool of the character described for removing the cap or sealing closure at the filling hole, without destroying the rim edge to which the cap is attached, whereby after the can has been refilled a new cap may be applied to the filling hole, particularly when the rim edge of the filling hole is straightened or re-shaped with the apparatus shown in my Patent No. 2,045,235 for improvements in Devices for shaping sheet material, granted June 23, 1936.

A further object of this invention is to provide a strong and rugged device of the character described comprising few and simple parts, easy to manipulate, which shall be comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, positive in operation, and withal practical and efiicient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a top portion of a can provided with a sealing closure or cap;

Fig. 2 is a partial perspective view of the upper portion of the can with the cap removed;

Fig. 3 is an elevational, cross-sectional view of a tool for removing the cap or closure embodying the invention;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line l4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, elevational view of my improved tool, showing the parts after the cap is removed;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line ii6 of Fig; 3; and

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but illustrating a modified construction.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, l designates a can having side walls ll each provided with an upwardly extending upper rim [2, and a top wall l3. Said top wall is provided with a filling hole l5, the metal at the rim of the filling hole being formed with a raised annular 1() portion l6 and an annular, substantially cylindrical upwardly extending flange ll. The filling hole is closed by a cap I9 having a fiat bottom wall 20 and an upwardly extending turned over flange 2! receiving and crimped to the flange I1. When the cap is attached to the filling hole the turned over fiange 2| tightly grips the flange ll for sealing the can.

Heretofore cans have been pierced at the top or in any suitable place to provide openings for emptying the can, after which the can has usually been discarded. When using larger or more expensive cans, however, it is desirable to refill and reuse the same after emptying.

In Figs. 3, 4 and 5 there is shown a device or tool 25 for removing the cap or closure l9 without destroying the rim edges or portions l6 and I! at the filling hole l5 so that a new cap may be applied after the can has been refilled. The tool 25 comprises a plate 26 adapted to be placed on 30 the top wall l3 of the can, said plate being substantially square, with one corner curved, and having side edges 2'! contacting the adjacent portions of the rim I2 for positioning the tool on the can during the cap removal operation.

The plate 26 is formed with an annular opening 21a concentric with the filling hole l5 and of substantially the same diameter as the outside of the portion I6 of the can top. Mounted on the plate 26 and fixed thereto is a member 30 having a cylindrical portion 3! formed with a flange 32 of reduced diameter received within the opening 21a. The plate 26 may be fixed to the member 3| in any suitable manner. The member 30 is provided with a top wall 33 at the upper end of the cylindrical wall 3|, formed with an axial opening 34. The cylindrical wall 3| is formed with an opening or cut away portion 35 presenting parallel vertical edges 36 and 31. Said wall may be formed with additional cut out portions 36a and 37a to reduce the weight of the tool and. to permit observation of the interior of the member 30.

Slidably mounted within the opening 34 is a rod 38 formed with a multiple steep-pitched threaded portion 40. The bottom end of the rod 38 is formed with an axial opening 4|. Fixed to the bottom end of said rod is an arrow head shaped member 43 having a stem 44 received within the opening 4| and fixed to the member 38 by a transverse pin 45. The head of the member 43 is pointed and may have any suitable number of fins 46 of V-shaped transverse cross-section. The fins 4B converge toward the point 41. Said fins have upper surfaces 48 disposed in a common plane for the purpose hereinafter appearing.

There is further fixed to the rod 38 between the bottom end of said rod and the threaded portion 40 thereof, an outwardly extending horizontal pin 50 extending through the opening 35 of the cylindrical portion 3|. Fixed to the upper end 5| of the rod 38 is a cap 52 having outwardly extending handles 53. There is further received on the threaded portion 40 of the rod 38. a member 55 having outwardly extending handles 56. The member 55 is formed with internal threads 51 coacting with the threads of the portion 4|].

The operation of my improved tool will now be described. The tool is placed on the can with the parts in position shown in Fig. 3, the member 55 being rotated on the rod until the same is disposed adjacent the cap 52 or upper end of the rod. The rod 38 is moved upwardly with respect to the member so that the pin 50 is adjacent the upper end of the opening and contacts the edge 31 of said opening. In such position the member 43 is disposed above the cap I9 and the point 41 thereof substantially contacts the center of the cap. Pressure may then be applied downwardly on the cap 52 of the tool so that the member 43 pierces through the cap I9. Pressure is applied until the pin 5|] is at the bottom of opening 35 and the head of the member 43 is entirely below the cap and the upper surfaces 48 of said head are below the undersurface of the cap I9. The handles 53 are then grasped and rod 38 turned in a clockwise direction, looking at Fig. 4 of the drawing, for bringing the pin 50 from the full line position thereof to the dotted line position thereof, as shown in Fig. 4, that is from edge 31 to edge 35. Such rotation of the cap will rotate the rod 38 and hence the member 43 to disalign the fins 46 with respect to the openings formed in the cap I9 when said member was forced through the cap. With heads having three fins as shown in Figs. 3 to 6 the angle of rotation is 60. Thereafter the member 55 is rotated in a clockwise direction with respect to Fig. 4 of the drawing to raise the rod 38. The upper surfaces 48 of the member 43 will hence contact the undersurface of the cap l9, and as the rod 38 is raised the cap I9 will be pulled upwardly oif the flange IT to the position shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing. The threads are so arranged that clockwise rotation of the member 55 for raising the cap and pulling the same off the flange will tend to rotate the rod also in a clockwise direction for retaining the pin 50 in engagement with the edge 36. As the rod is raised pin 50 will slide upwardly along edge 36.

After the cap H! has been pulled off the flange H to the position shown in Fig. 5 the tool may be lifted off the can and the member then rotated in a counterclockwise or opposite direction to lower the rod 38 for bringing the cap l9 below the plate 26. The cap may then be rotated to align the openings formed therein with the fins 46 of the member 43 so that the cap may be taken off said member.

Should the portions l6 and I! at the opening |.5 be mis-shapen or distorted while the cap is forced thereoff, the same may be straightened or brought back to their original shape with the apparatus shown in my said Patent No. 2,045,235.

However, my improved cap removing tool may be used for any can having a cap to close its filling hole and is not limited to use only with cans wherein it is desired to refill and reuse the same.

In Fig. 7 there is shown a pointed head 43a having only two fins 46a. In the event that a member 430. is employed having only two opposite fins, the opening 35 in the member 33 should be 90, instead of as shown in Fig. 4, whereby the pin 50 and hence the rod 38 will rotate to bring the fins 48a to the dotted line position shown in Fig. '7.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments set forth, it is tobe understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A tool for removing a cap from a can, comprising a member adapted to be mounted on top of the can and having an opening, a rod slidably extending through said opening, an arrow head shaped device provided with one or more fins, on said rod, said rod having a threaded portion, a member screwed onto said threaded portion, said first member having a second opening, and a pin fixed to said rod and extending through said second opening, said second opening being shaped to permit limited axial and angular movement of said rod, whereby said rod may be moved axially to cause said head to pierce said cap, and then moved angularly to disalign the fins of said head with respect to the opening formed in the cap when said head was forced therethrough.

2. A device for pulling a cap off a can comprising a member adapted to be mounted on the can and over said cap, a rod having a pointed head having fins, adapted to pierce said cap slidably and rotatably mounted on said member and adapted to be slidably moved in one direction for forcing said head through said cap and rotated with respect to the opening formed in the cap as the head is forced therethrough, means to limit rotation of said rod to a position where the fins of said head will be disaligned with said opening in said cap and contact the underside of said cap, said means comprising a member on said rod, and stop means on said first member adapted to be contacted by the member on said rod, and means for slidably moving said rod in the opposite direction to pull the cap 01f the can.

3. A device for pulling a cap off a can comprising a member adapted to be mounted on the can and over said cap, said member having an opening, a second member having a pointed head formed with fins adapted to pierce said cap slidably and rotatably extending through said opening and adapted to be slidably moved in one direction for forcing said head through said cap and rotated to disalign the fins of said head with respect to the opening formed in the cap as the head is forced therethrough. means for slidably moving saidsecond member in the opposite direction to engage said fins with the underside of said cap and pull the cap off the can, said first member having a second opening and a pin on said second member extending through said second opening to limit rotary movement of said second member.

l. A device for removing a cap from a can having fiat side walls, a top wall and an upstanding rim on said top wall extending upwardly from said side walls, comprising a mem ber mounted on the top wall of said can and having at the bottom edge thereof, a fiat plate portion formed with edges at an angle to each other adapted to contact portions of said rlm at one corner of said top wall, said first member also having a portion extending upwardly from and fixed with respect to said plate portion, and disposed over said cap, a second member rotatably and axially mounted on the upwardly ex tending portion of the first member, and having means for piercing said cap, and means for moving said second member relative to said first member for pulling the cap off the can.

5. A device for pulling a cap ofi a can comprising a plate having an opening, a cylindrical member fixed to said plate over the opening in the plate, and having an end wall formed with an axial opening, a rod having a threaded portion, slidably mounted within said axial opening, means cooperating with said rod and cylindrical member to limit rotation and sliding movement of said rod with respect to said member, a member having internal threads received on the threaded portion of the rod and a pointed arrow head shaped member formed with fins fixed to said rod.

6. A device of the character described comprising a fiat plate having an opening, a cylindrical member having one end received within said opening and fixed to said plate, said cylindrical member having an end wall at the upper end thereof formed with an axial opening, said cylindrical member being further formed with an opening providing a pair of parallel longitudinal edges, a rod slidably mounted within said axial opening, a member fixed to said rod and extending within said opening in said cylindrical member to limit angular rotation of said rod, a pointed, finned member adapted to pierce the cap, at the bottom end of said rod, said rod having a threaded portion, a member having an internal threaded portion received on said first threaded portion, and being formed with a handle, and. a member fixed to the upper end of said rod and provided with a handle.

7. A device for removing a cap from a can comprising a fiat plate having a pair of edges at right angles to one another and formed with an opening, a cylindrical member mounted on said plate and having a flange received within said opening, said cylindrical member having a top wall provided with an axial opening, the cylindrical portion of said cylindrical member being formed with-a second opening having parallel longitudinal edges, a rod slidably and rotatably extending through said axial opening, a pin fixed to said rod and extending radially with respect thereto, the outer end of said pin extending within said second opening, said rod being threaded along a portion thereof, a member screwed to said threaded portion of the rod, and having a handle thereon, a member fixed to the top of the rod and provided with a handle, and a pointed arrow head shaped member fixed to the bottom end of the rod and provided with a plurality of equiangularly spaced fins.

8. A device for removing a cap from a can comprising a fiat plate having a pair of edges at right angles to one another and formed with an opening, a cylindrical member mounted on said plate and having a flange received within said opening, said cylindrical member having a top wall provided with an axial opening, the cylindrical portion of said cylindrical member being formed with a second opening having parallel longitudinal edges, a rod slidably and rotatably extending through said axial opening, a pin fixed to said rod and extending radially with respect thereto, the outer end of said pin extending within said second opening, said rod being threaded along a portion thereof, a member screwed to' said threaded portion of the rod, and having a handle thereon, a member fixed to the top of the rod and provided with a handle, and a pointed arrow head shaped member fixed to the bottom end of the rod and provided with a plurality of equiangularly spaced fins, the angular extent of the second opening in said cylindrical member being equal to substantially half the angle between each pair of adjacent fins. ISIDOR NEWMAN. 

